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Number of KT micropayment frauds continue to rise

Published: 23 Sep. 2025, 15:31 Updated: 23 Sep. 2025, 18:43

KIM MIN-YOUNG
[email protected]

Passersby walk past a KT store in Hongdae, western Seoul, on Sept. 10. [KIM JONG-HO]

Reports of unauthorized micropayments on KT accounts continue to rise, with new cases emerging in southern Seoul’s Seocho and Dongjak districts, police said on Tuesday.

As of 6 p.m. on Monday, 214 cases of unauthorized payments had been reported, totaling 136.5 million won ($98,000), according to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency. This is up from 200 cases amounting to 127.9 million won reported last Thursday.

By region, Gwangmyeong in Gyeonggi had the highest number of victims, with 124 people reporting 81.8 million won in damages, followed by Seoul’s Geumcheon District, with 64 people losing 36.5 million won.

Other cases were reported in Bucheon, with seven people losing 5.8 million won; Gwacheon, with 10 people losing 4.45 million won; Incheon’s Bupyeong District, with four people losing 2.58 million won; Seoul’s Dongjak District, with four people losing 2.54 million won and Seocho District, with one person losing 790,000 won.

The fraud took place between Aug. 5 and Sept. 5.

KT initially said on Sept. 11 that 278 people had been affected, with damages of 170 million won, but revised the figure last Thursday to 362 people and 240 million won in losses.

However, the number of police reports remains lower than KT’s tally, raising questions about the company’s credibility. New cases in Seocho, Dongjak and Goyang’s Ilsandong District suggest that the fraud may be more widespread than initially reported.

Police said they are reviewing data submitted by KT to identify common patterns and will announce the final tally after verification. With additional cases still surfacing, the total damage is expected to rise further.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]